The American Bahá’í/Volume 4/Issue 8/Text
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Hand of the Cause visits U.S.A.[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God,
Mr. Jalál Kházeh, arrived in New York City from Canada, September 11, for a five-day visit to the United States. Mr. Kházeh is on a teaching journey in support of the teaching efforts of various National Spiritual Assemblies around the world.
During his brief stay in the United States, Mr. Kházeh visited Teaneck, New Jersey; Hartford, Connecticut; as well as New York City.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of New York was host to the Hand of the Cause during his brief stay in the country. The Assembly held a reception for Mr. Kházeh in New York City on the evening of September 11.
On the evening of September 12, Mr. Kházeh met with Bahá’ís at the Cabin in Teaneck, New Jersey. The following evening he met with the Bahá’ís of Hartford.
The Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees of the three-state area will inform the Bahá’ís in their jurisdictions of the details of Mr. Kházeh’s visit.
Mr. Kházeh recently attended the National Conventions of both Alaska and Canada.
“The community of Alaska is wonderful,” he later wrote, “and I am now godfather to the Indians, Eskimos, and other cultural groups.”
Approximately 250 people gathered for the Alaskan Convention. “I never saw a community so full of zeal and love towards each other,” Mr. Kházeh said.
On departing from Alaska, the friends who accompanied the Hand of the Cause to the airport attracted the attention of a dignified gentlemen who asked Mr. Kházeh, “Sir, could you tell me who you are that a group of such differing persons have gathered to see you off?”
When he explained the purpose for his visit to the state, Mr. Kházeh was invited to meet with the wife of the Governor. Mr. Kházeh’s visit with her was very cordial, and she reportedly queried him about the Cause with intelligence and interest.
Of the Canadian Convention, he wrote: “The Convention was great and well organized, with more than 1,000 attending. The zeal of the friends is superb.”
DTC’s appointed[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly appointed 80 District Teaching Committees in August, 11 fewer than existed previously.
Two reasons for the reduction were advanced by Phil Christensen, the new secretary of the National Teaching Committee. One is the strain on the Fund caused by a large number of District Teaching Committees, and the second, the desire to make the administration of the teaching agencies more manageable, and to encourage greater volunteer assistance in carrying out teaching programs.
Primary among the responsibilities of District Teaching Committees are to assist Bahá’í groups to attain functioning Assembly status, to encourage and support isolated believers, and to cooperate with the National Treasurer’s office in supporting the institution of the Bahá’í Fund.
At the same time that the number of District Teaching Committees was reduced, all but two of last year’s Regional Teaching Committees were abolished. The remaining Regional Teaching Committees are in California and South Carolina.
This year in California, the District Teaching Committees will report to the Regional Teaching Committee.
A Regional Teaching Committee has been established for the Navajo and Hopi reservations. The Committee will operate an office in the same manner as the other Regional Committees. The Committee was appointed to coordinate and consolidate the teaching efforts in a region that was previously served by District Teaching Committees in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.
In addition, a number of Minority Teaching Committees are being contemplated to build on the minority teaching momentum gained during the Nine Year Plan, and to assist communities and individuals to address the challenge of reaching all strata of society.
Mr. Christensen said the National Teaching Committee will be guided during this year by such factors as the June 28 letter of the National Assembly outlining the U.S. goals for the interim year before the launching of a new Plan, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan, which highlight the potentialities and needs of the various states and regions.
District Teaching Committee boundaries do not necessarily coincide with the electoral boundaries established
Darrell Anderson leaves Ntl. Center[edit]
Mr. Darrell W. Anderson, Comptroller of the National Bahá’í Center, has resigned his post after five years of exemplary service to resume his career as an accountant with a private corporation in the Chicago area.
Mr. Anderson, a 1965 graduate of the University of Montana, was appointed to be Comptroller of the National Center in December 1968.
As Comptroller he administered the financial affairs of the National Spiritual Assembly, and represented the Treasurer in the daily functions of his office, attending to such matters as budgets, receipts and disbursements, loans and investments, insurance and taxes, loans and estates.
After his graduation, Mr. Anderson served as office manager for the Missoula Mercantile Company, of Missoula, Montana. During 1966 he was employed as Comptroller for the Western Broadcasting Company, in Missoula.
Mr. Anderson enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith in 1964. From 1967 to 1969 he served as secretary of the State Goals Committee of Montana. Mr. Anderson has also served on the Bahá’í Data Processing Committee and the Council for the Bahá’í Home.
Mr. Anderson will continue to live in Wilmette with his wife, the former Gloria Woodson of Washington, D.C.
DTC’s appointed[edit]
(continued from page 1)
for District Conventions; for example, this year the northern peninsula of Michigan has joined with the northern Wisconsin teaching district to form the Wisconsin-Michigan District Teaching Committee. But the Bahá’ís of the northern peninsula will continue to vote in the Michigan District Convention, while the Bahá’ís of northern Wisconsin will still vote in the Northern Wisconsin District Convention.
In a similar manner, the peninsula created by Delaware, eastern Maryland and eastern Virginia was combined into the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia District Teaching Committee. However, the Bahá’ís residing in each of the states comprising the new district will attend the District Convention corresponding to their own state.
In Georgia, two teaching districts—northern and southern—have replaced the four districts existing there last year. The Bahá’ís residing in the northern district will vote in the Northern District Convention, while the Bahá’ís who live in the southern district will vote in the Southern District Convention.
International youth attending session of the ninth International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences at House of Worship recently receive tour of the grounds.
Youth meet at Ntl. Center[edit]
“One Species, Many Cultures” was the theme of the ninth International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences held in Chicago during August.
In 103 scholarly sessions specialists from 90 countries discussed the diversity of customs, beliefs, languages and religions in the world.
One of the youth sessions, held at the House of Worship in Wilmette, explored the theme: “Religion as a Means to World Unity.”
The Bahá’ís were not only asked to host the session for the seventy youthful scholars, but were also encouraged to provide the speakers, who would make brief statements on the theme of unity to spark discussion.
The first question asked when the talks were given was, “Who is Bahá’u’lláh?”
This ad, in English and Spanish, was recently placed on thirty public buses by the San Diego Bahá’í community. The ad was designed by Mr. Gerry Boisclair, an American Indian believer from San Marcos, California.
The two-and-a-half by twelve foot signs were printed in gold and orange tones to convey the feelings of joy, warmth and vibrancy characteristic of the Bahá’í Faith.
Buses displaying these signs ranged over an 800 square mile area, serving twelve communities where Bahá’ís reside.
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The National Teaching Committee held its first meeting July 21-22. Shown above, from left to right: Mrs. Joan Balkin from Burbank, California; Mr. Robert C. Henderson, chairman, from Northampton, Mass.; Mr. Casey Walton from Nashville, Tenn.; Mrs. Kathleen Javid from Scarsdale, New York; Mr. Robert Entzimger from Billings, Montana; and Mr. Philip Christiansen, secretary, from Wilmette, Illinois. Mrs. Penny Walker, vice-chairman, from South Hadley, Mass., does not appear in the photograph. |
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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. |
The Hand of the Cause, John A. Robarts, converses with Continental Counsellor, Mrs. Florence V. Mayberry, recently appointed to the International Teaching Centre.
Auxiliary Board members, Mr. Ted Oliver and Mrs. Adrienne Reeves.
The Hand of the Cause, Mr. William Sears, with Auxiliary Board member, Mrs. Jane McCants
Conference participants arriving for a session
From left to right, Auxiliary Board members, Mrs. Margaret Ariel Gallagher, Mrs. Katherine McLaughlin, and Mr. Anthony F. Lease.
Counsellors meet with Auxiliary Boards[edit]
The Continental Board of Counsellors for North America held a conference with its Auxiliary Board members, September 1-3, in Lincolnwood, Illinois, to consult on the progress of the Bahá’í Faith in North America and to plan the activities and services of the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members to the Bahá’í community for the interim year before the launching of a new Plan by The Universal House of Justice.
All of the Counsellors for North America, Mr. Lloyd Gardner, Dr. Sarah Pereira, Mrs. Velma Sherrill, and Miss Edna True, along with the full body of twenty-one Auxiliary Board members from the United States, Alaska, and Canada, attended the meeting.
Counsellors Mrs. Florence Mayberry and Mr. Hooper Dunbar, both recently appointed to the newly established International Teaching Centre, also attended the conference before departing for the Holy Land to begin their new assignments.
Present to consult with the Counsellors and members of the Auxiliary Boards were The Hands of the Cause of God Mr. Zikru’llak Khadem, Mr. William Sears, and Mr. John Robarts.
A special highlight of the weekend was an evening with the Hands on Saturday when movies of the recent International Convention and the conference following it in Haifa were shown.
On Saturday, September 1, representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada, and the United States joined the conference to outline their respective national teaching plans for the remainder of the current Bahá’í year.
The conference began Friday evening with a visit to the nearby House of Worship in Wilmette for prayers.
Conifer Hill work, study rewards students[edit]
The 240-acre Conifer Hill property is in the Rocky Mountains, thirty miles from Boulder, Colorado, at an altitude of 7,900 feet. Students live in semi-open cabins, use latrines, and have no lights or central heating. When the camp is in session, students spend their days helping to build new facilities and improve old ones, and their evenings studying the Bahá’í writings. Sessions began this year July 15 and ended August 11.
by Sam Jackson
Ask anyone who was there to sum up in two words or less the most sustained adventure in spiritual exhilaration-attraction of hearts-edification of soul and confirmation of the Concourse on high that they have experienced recently, and the answer has to be Conifer Hill. Set on a site of incomparable splendor in majestic mountains near Estes Park, Colorado, the work/study camp proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences for both Bahá’ís and pre-Bahá’ís ever realized by many of its summer residents.
One of the pre-Bahá’í residents of Conifer Hill, situated about one-half mile from the site of the work/study camp, said, “I could feel the vibrations of what was going on over here all over the mountain.” Needless to say, she later became a Bahá’í. Numerous campers spoke of feeling the high energy of the place even as they started the four-mile climb to that heavenly seat in the bosom of the Rocky Mountains.
If you don’t think digging, logging, building, and painting can be a joyful and unifying experience, you’ve never witnessed the range of expression available to us in raising up the new world community. New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, and the Navajo Reservation were but a few of the areas represented by these summer camp workers. The ages ranged from month-old babies to grandmothers, and the added blessings of all this diversity were proof that age and cultural diversity offer unique and enriched experience for all.
Mass-teaching in the nearby mountain towns of Ward and Nederland netted new and enthusiastic believers, one of whom hied off to his native town in Oklahoma to establish an Assembly. The residents of Ward requested the Bahá’ís to help them in the administration of the town and to teach the children in their schools.
Love and unity were the unspoken theme, the password, the very atmosphere of this blessed mountain haven. And no prayer seemed to go unheard in that pine-scented spot.
NGO directors meet at UN[edit]
A one-day United Nations Association conference was held in New York, June 5, to bring together for discussion the UN representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the national directors of those organizations.
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, attended the conference, together with Dr. Victor de Araujo, UN representative for the Bahá’í International Community, and Mrs. Mabel Garis, UN representative of the Bahá’ís of the United States.
The Bahá’í International Community, an NGO, has achieved consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN and maintains a full-time office in New York to conduct UN business.
The conference was organized to draw attention to the work done by the UN and its agencies, to demonstrate the type of activities in which NGO representatives are constantly involved, and to explore some of the crucial issues on which their attention has focused in recent years.
June 5th, the day of the conference, was the first World Environment Day, held on the anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on Environment. Dr. Noel Brown, of the UN Environment Program, noted that this event marked the first time countries throughout the world had come together to solve a mutual problem. Historically, it meant that “man has assumed the responsibility for the protection of the planet,” he said.
William Zeil, who is Acting Head of the Office of Financial Services, spoke of the financial crisis with which the United Nations is faced. The refusal of several countries to honor their debts, the limited funds of many of the developing countries, who are new members of the UN family and to whom “money is a lifeline,” and the reneging on pledges to special agencies which carry out much of the work in developing countries, has created a financial crisis at the UN, he said. Another source of difficulty is the devaluation of the American dollar in foreign markets.
The third panelist was Robert Muller, who has been with the UN for more than twenty-five years in a variety of positions. He is currently Director of the Office of the Secretary-General.
Mr. Muller spoke of the problems which flood the UN yearly, their growing complexity, and the rapidity with which they change; they range from sea bottoms, highjacking, energy, outer space television and radio broadcasting, to drought and famine, to name but a few. He stressed the need for moral support for the UN, a unique instrument, which searches for the answers to problems that would bring physical relief to a troubled planet.
Tokens presented[edit]
Mr. Tony Lee, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles, presenting “Tokens” to Mayor Thomas Bradley in the Mayor’s office in City Hall, Los Angeles, August 27, 1973.
People line up for a meal in front of Indian tepee.
This is one of the Mescalero Apaches attending the Council Fire.
Preparing food for the Council fire.
Baha’is and their Indian hosts share the mike in reading and chanting prayers.
4Mescalero Council Fire promotes unity and harmony[edit]
by Ruth Hampson
Coming together at the Rodeo Grounds of Mescalero, an Indian town which is nestled into pine forests high above the desert lands of Alamagordo, New Mexico, over 50 Bahá’ís from throughout the Southwest joined their friends on this Apache Reservation to participate in a weekend of love and unity.
The generosity of the Mescalero Tribal Council in making it possible for the Council Fire to be held in such an ideal spot was matched by those Indians who guided the Bahá’ís as they erected a tepee in true Apache fashion and built an arbor to serve as shade during the daytime activities, and also the Indian women, Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í alike, who stood over a hot, huge campfire for countless hours, kneading and cooking dough to make basketsful of Apache fried bread for an evening meal. Our gratitude to them is boundless.
The Council Fire was officially opened Friday evening with the friends gathering for song and prayer around the campfire. On Saturday, Mr. Geronimo Appa, a Taos Pueblo Indian Bahá’í, serving as a sensitive and competent master of ceremonies, introduced Bahá’í guests who offered the beautiful Message of Bahá’u’lláh through song and speech. Throughout the glorious weekend, the theme of the unity of all peoples and their harmony with the world of nature was reaffirmed, and the coming of Bahá’u’lláh announced.
On Saturday evening the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Mescalero hosted dinner, replete with chile, beans, Apache fried bread, cole slaw, and hot and cold beverages. At this time, the Bahá’ís and their friends were joined by over 250 Indian people and, moving into the evening’s program, beautiful Indian prayer chants were interlaced with Bahá’í prayers and songs, as they individually and collectively witnessed to the glory of God and our dependence on Him.
At the close of the Council Fire, Sunday noon, a light rainfall brought the friends together inside the tepee, giving a perfect opportunity for song and prayer, and sparking a deep and meaningful consultation on the purpose of God for man in this glorious Day. The friends left Mescalero regretfully, aware that their lives had been enriched by their experience; that for a few short hours they had been drawn unto an unforgettable unity with an almost forgotten people; praying fervently that the spirit of the Indians, so evident and precious during this visit, would gain strength and courage from the power that is the inevitable result of prayers and efforts expended in the path of the Blessed Beauty.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE[edit]
Bangladesh youth active teachers[edit]
The Bahá’í youth in Bangladesh, as in so many areas of the world, are undertaking the task of spreading the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh with great verve and enthusiasm. A team of ten youth recently set out for a teaching tour of southern towns in the country.
They stopped in Comilla where a series of successful meetings was held in colleges and educational institutions. From there they visited Chittagong where they again introduced the Faith successfully to dignitaries and professors.
However, the true success began when the team visited Chittagong. There they taught the members of some of the tribes and met with the head of the tribes and his family. The mother of the family was moved when she heard the Message and immediately called herself a Bahá’í. A group of the tribal people accepted the Cause and it is hoped that they will soon embrace the Faith in troops.
North West Pacific wins Plan goals[edit]
Many of the North West Pacific Ocean goals of the Nine Year Plan appeared to be impossible due to circumstances surrounding and confounding the friends laboring to achieve them. Many of these curiously disappeared at the last moment and the stories of such incidents are indeed fabulous.
One such incident involved the gaining of incorporated status for the newly formed National Spiritual Assembly of the North West Pacific Ocean. Eight members of the National Assembly had signed the documents.
The other member of the Assembly was inaccessible.
One of the believers wrote to Judge Richard Benson, who was assisting with the incorporation, telling him why the last member of the Assembly could not be contacted.
“He has been out on his atoll for well over three months now without getting off,” the writer said. “To begin with, he couldn’t because the winter months are the months of high seas due to the stiff trade winds. This year they have been exceptionally bad. All small boats are confined to the lagoons. Usually they attempt fishing trips out into the open ocean water but not this winter... This has been the reason for his not getting into Majuro during the past three months.”
“During that time,” he continued, “we could have reached his island only with a very large boat, and then there would have been no guarantee that a small boat could have made it from the island out to a large boat. Next, when the weather finally turned enough to allow one to attempt the crossing in a smaller boat...his boat had sunk. Even those boats that are expressly for hire are out of action, for some strange reason, all down for engine repairs of one kind or another.”
“I spoke with him via walkie-talkie again this Sunday and he was more than ready and willing to get off his rock,” the writer continued.
A postscript to the letter gives this added information:
“As you can see, it looks as though prayer has done it again where the best of human efforts have repeatedly failed. Francis was able to get in this morning with his family because of a number of things going ‘just right,’ a number of things that could not have been arranged by the best of organizers.”
“As I type this note Francis is out arranging for the notarization of his signature on the documents. He has promised that if at all possible he would have them completed and in my office this afternoon. Just as I finished typing the word ‘office’ in the above sentence, Francis walked in with the completed incorporation papers. We are in business.”
S.S. Elna crew responds to Faith[edit]
A report from the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand made mention of the arrival of the Ship S.S. Elna, which had one crew member who was a Bahá’í. The ship docked in Auckland where some of the crew attended firesides with their Bahá’í friend and shipmate. As the ship sailed there were nine believers among the crew: one Greek, one El Salvadorian, and the remainder Filipinos.
Zambia NSA[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia recently filmed a television programme which was aimed largely at the youth in the viewing audience. The National Assembly was offered an opportunity to present a programme of one-half hour’s duration. It was filmed and recorded on 14 February and scheduled to be shown on 10 March at 5:45 p.m.
The script was drawn largely from one prepared by The Hand of the Cause William Sears and contains many direct quotations from the Writings. Miss May Hofman, who was visiting Zambia at the time, helped the National Spiritual Assembly and the youth with the production of the film.
President approves weekly radio show[edit]
In March 1973 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Central African Republic, following six months of inquiries, received permission from the Minister of Information to broadcast a weekly radio program throughout the country.
The National Assembly was particularly satisfied with the decision of the Minister of Information, because he is at the same time President of the Republic.
The half-hour program will be broadcast Sundays from 9 to 9:30 a.m. One week, the program will be in French, and the following it will be repeated in Sango, the national language.
In a report on its new radio program the National Assembly wrote: “As there is only one radio station and it is extremely popular among the entire population, it is extraordinary to think of the proclamation effect this will have for the Faith throughout the entire country and perhaps also surrounding countries. The many Bahá’í friends in the bush will be very encouraged by this new development, as we often have difficulty in maintaining regular contact with them. It will surely prove as profound a source of consolidation as of propagation.”
Bahá’ís active in Mysore, India[edit]
A traveling teacher who recently spent a period of time in Kolar, the gold-producing headquarters of Mysore State, reports:
“Today a Christian gentleman took the card for signing. When he completes the card, he will be the first Christian in Kolar to declare. The men and women who declare their faith are very sincere and many of them have started teaching the Faith to others.
“Among the new Bahá’ís, two are engineers, two government school teachers, three clerks, two tailors and businessmen. The Planning Officer of Kolar has joined the Faith. The Principal of a college has also joined us.”
A later report announced the formation of a Local Spiritual Assembly at Kolar, with members from different backgrounds—Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.
Letters-to-the-editor[edit]
Dear friends,
We are writing to you from a small university town in North Carolina because we have happy news and we want to share it.
A little background... Chapel Hill has for the past few years been a frustrating place for a Bahá’í to live in. Declarations have occurred at the rate of one or two per year, excluding a mass-teaching effort that produced believers who have since been inactive. With a tiny core of very overworked active Bahá’ís, things reached a low point this spring. Every LSA member belonged to two or three committees, in addition to serving on the LSA and arranging Feasts and firesides. Firesides were unattended, and there were problems of disunity in the community. We simply weren’t having any fun or excitement any more in our Bahá’í activities.
Then...the community united and revamped. Committees were eliminated and replaced by a one-man representative system. Firesides were cut down and made more informal and spontaneous. The number of LSA meetings was reduced. Above all, the community experienced a deepening unity. We were ready to be ignited, and the spark was the Oklahoma conference, which five of our community attended.
Since Oklahoma, we have had four declarations, and all four are now very active and confirmed believers. Our weekly fireside has been crowded for the last month, with up to 15 seekers in one evening. A new information booth set up weekly at the Student Union has been besieged by students wanting information.
We painted a 9'x 22' billboard to go up on May 5 for the monthlong celebration and were then beset by difficulties with the billboard company. Yet in late July, after we had given up, it suddenly appeared on a major highway and was up six weeks free of charge.
Our praise of Bahá’u’lláh is infinite. We have truly learned the power of realistic evaluation of resources, and most of all, of unity of the believers.
- With warm Bahá’í love,
- THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF CHAPEL HILL
Choose a challenging article from WORLD ORDER for study in your local Bahá’í school adult classes.
Dear friends,
I would like to share with you this quote from the Guardian and hope that you will find use for it in The American Bahá’í. I found it in the July 1957 issue of Bahá’í News:
“The friends must realize their individual responsibility. Each must hold a Fireside in his or her home, once in 19 days, where new people are invited, and where some phase of the Faith is mentioned and discussed. If this is done with the intent of showing Bahá’í hospitality and love, then there will be results. People will become interested in ‘what’ you are interested in, and then be interested in studying. Individual firesides will bring the knowledge of the Faith to more people, under favorable circumstances, and thus constantly enrich its circle of friends, and finally its members. There is no substitution for the teaching work of the individual.” (Excerpt from a letter dated March 6, 1957 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer.)
I would like to offer the suggestion that those Bahá’ís whose families are not Bahá’ís and therefore do not feel free to hold firesides in their homes, to ask a Bahá’í in their communities who do have this freedom for permission to use their homes for their own firesides and invite their own friends and contacts. This especially applies to the Bahá’í youth, many of whom belong to non-Bahá’í families and live at home.
- With warm Bahá’í love,
- Patty Byron
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editorial The intellect: light of the spirit When Western civilization began to decline, some of its votaries refused to admit the very possibility of such a frightening occurrence. They not only denied that degeneration had set in but, paradoxically, even welcomed it in the name of moral freedom and personal liberation. Others have deplored the growing corruption of life, rightly attributing it to the pervasive materialism which is the salient characteristic of modern Western civilization. From the sad state into which that civilization has descended, they have drawn the inevitable conclusion that materialism is evil. Going a step farther, they have identified materialism with science, knowledge, and reason. Such a view is being spread today among European and, especially, American youth who are themselves at once the uncertain beneficiaries of science and technology and their first spiritual victims. Those who revolt against education, who trash libraries, who preach against science and medicine, who reject rationality, promote unrestrained feeling, wallow in enthusiasm, exalt the primitive, and romanticize ignorance are the new reactionaries. Their vision is only of the past; their imagination is archaic. They commit their worst sins when they clothe their obscurantism in the garb of religion. True religion is not anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, anti-rational. The Bahá’í Writings glorify the mind, knowledge, the sciences, and the arts. Instead of equating them with materialism, the Bahá’í Teachings see in reason and knowledge the highest manifestation of the human mind which is itself the light that shines from the lamp of the spirit. “Praise and thanksgiving be unto Providence,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “ that out of all the realities in existence He has chosen the reality of man and has honored it with intellect and wisdom, the two most luminous lights in either world.” And again, “All blessings are divine in origin but none can be compared with this power of intellectual investigation and research which is an eternal gift producing fruits of unending delight.” And yet again: “God had conferred upon and added to man a distinctive power, the faculty of intellectual investigation into the secrets of creation, the acquisition of higher knowledge, the greatest virtue of which is scientific enlightenment. “This endowment is the most praiseworthy power of man, for through its employment and exercise, the betterment of the human race is accomplished, the development of the virtues of mankind is made possible and the spirit and mysteries of God become manifest.” Thus Bahá’ís are not swayed by fashionable antinomies. They refuse to oppose science to religion, reason to faith, knowledge to feeling, mind to heart. They refuse to identify backwardness with goodness, superstition with spirituality, and ignorance of the world with knowledge of God. (World Order magazine, Fall 1972 issue) |
Mr. Franklin Kahn plays drums for dancers.
Mr. Yazzie’s grandson
Mr. Dan Yazzie
[edit]
Mr. Dan Yazzie, a Navajo medicine man, was host to a Bahá’í proclamation attended by more than 200 people, at Dinnebeto, in the west-central area of the vast Navajo Reservation, near Flagstaff, Arizona, during the weekend of July 20-22.
The proclamation was jointly sponsored by the Northern Arizona Teaching Committee and the Western Regional Indian Teaching Committee. Bahá’ís attended from California, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
Mr. Yazzie first encountered the Bahá’í Faith at a Bahá’í gathering at Chinle, also on the Reservation, in June 1971. At Chinle, he was reportedly impressed by the many races gathered there in amity.
He began to investigate the Bahá’í teachings, often visiting Bahá’ís living on the Reservation to obtain more information. He also made frequent trips to Phoenix, Arizona, and, whenever possible, spent time with Bahá’ís there as well.
Finally, he asked Bahá’ís for permission to hold a meeting at which every person that he could gather together from the Reservation would be told of the Bahá’í Faith.
If the Bahá’ís would provide the Teachings and the potatoes for the stew, a report of the proclamation said, Mr. Yazzie promised to provide the lamb and the seekers. The District Teaching Committee and the Regional Indian Teaching Committee accepted his offer.
More than two hundred people gathered on Dan Yazzie’s land in the cool stillness of the July 21 morning. Many of the Indian people present were to hear about the Bahá’í Faith for the first time.
Some of the speakers were Mr. Franklin Kahn, Mr. Art Strickland, Mr. Ben Kahn, Mrs. Nancy Phillips, Mr. Phil Lucas, Miss Sally Woodbury, who spoke about Bahá’u’lláh in her native Navajo language, Mr. Dan Yazzie, Doc Whitesinger, a Bahá’í medicine man, and Mr. David Monongye, a traditionalist spiritual leader from the nearby Hopi Reservation.
After opening prayers in many languages, Mr. Yazzie welcomed his guests in Navajo.
“All men have spirit,” he began. “All men feel the same things: Happiness, sorrow, cold, heat, thirst, hunger, love, hate.
“Regardless of our color or race, we are from one source and all are related to each other. We share one God. Our children need to be educated so very badly.
“It is up to us to see that this is done, for they will be the keepers of this world of God when we have gone to the next one and have to be prepared to do a better job than we are doing now.
“Even though we are not so many here today, we will leave the spirit,” he said. “Next time, more will come and hear.”
“Three years ago,” he continued, “I heard of the Bahá’í Faith. I have learned by example, and the principles have been made known to me. My life has changed since I heard.”
Doc Whitesinger also made a brief presentation in Navajo. Among the things he said was that Bahá’ís must unwind like a thread, this thread representing the line between good and evil in the world.
“We must teach the younger ones to stay on the right side of the line,” he said. “The way is the Bahá’í way.”
Mr. Yazzie said the Bahá’ís would be welcome to return to his land “...when the corn is ripe.”
Mr. David Monongye (standing) addresses the gathering
The Manybead family with Mrs. Yazzie (right).
Many of the friends attending proclamation pose for photograph.
The friends relax between sessions.
Mr. Sam Manybeads.
The L-shaped building in the foreground was built to protect people attending the proclamation from the sun
News Briefs[edit]
Institute held on Islamic Faith[edit]
In response to one of Shoghi Effendi’s directives in The Advent of Divine Justice that the friends “...must strive to obtain, from sources that are authoritative and unbiased, a sound knowledge of the history and tenets of Islam—the source and background of their Faith...”, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Hopewell, New Jersey, sponsored an institute on the Islamic Faith on two consecutive Sundays, May 6 and 13.
The institute was held on both occasions at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University.
Mr. Roy Mottahedeh, teacher of Early Islamic History and Arabic at the University, conducted this important study. At the first session, Mr. Mottahedeh presented a history of the government of Persia immediately preceding and during the ministries of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as well as a history of the Islamic Faith which included the importance of the Qur’án and ḥadíth, and the evolution of the Imáms.
The second session was devoted to questions and answers.
The institute proved to be a rewarding and information-packed deepening experience. According to Janet Richards, the PI Representative for the Hopewell Assembly, it was the first of its kind in that area, and it is hoped a similar one will take place in the northern part of the state.
Durango Bahá’ís build float[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Durango, Colorado, entered a float this year, for the first time, in the town’s annual August Navajo Trails Day Fiesta Parade. The float depicted a sun and a rainbow rising over a Rocky Mountain scene. Several believers rode on the float, including a young girl performing Hawaiian dances. An estimated 10,000 persons lined the parade route.
Members of the Bahá’í community of Holyoke, Massachusetts, present The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Holyoke Mayor William S. Taupier. From left to right are Mr. Arthur Nash, Mayor Taupier, Mr. Douglas Ruhe, and Mrs. Beverly Ruhe.
Arizona, New Mexico summer school[edit]
The Arizona/New Mexico Bahá’í Summer School was held amid the tall pines of Prescott, Arizona, July 8-15, in the Bahá’í spirit of love and fellowship.
One of the highlights of the week was the daily class presented by Continental Counsellor Mrs. Florence Mayberry on the subject of “The Covenant.” She captivated the student body as she vividly conveyed the power of the Covenant.
Upon the conclusion of one class about The Universal House of Justice, so powerful was her description of that Supreme Administrative Institution of the Bahá’í Faith that the students remained silent and motionless in their seats for at least five minutes after the class ended.
One evening, all gathered to hear her speak of the newly established International Teaching Centre in Haifa, of which she is a member.
Also well received were the interesting and informative classes by Steve Powers on “The Hidden Words” and Mrs. Janet Ward on “Bahá’í History.” A fifteen-minute daily class on Persian and Arabic words and phrases by Mrs. Rezvan Chowdhury was enlightening, and by the end of the week everyone had learned a two-line Bahá’í prayer in Persian that could be chanted.
The children and youth classes presented an evening program incorporating music, interpretive dance, and arts and crafts products of their classes. The intermediate class presented a clever and charming project using a felt board and a song to demonstrate the oneness of mankind to the theme “We’re building bridges out of walls that keep us apart...”
Klamath County seeks help[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Klamath County, Oregon, is seeking help in one of its goal areas, 20 miles north of Klamath Falls. This presents a marvelous opportunity for those Bahá’ís specially interested in taking the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the Indians.
Before moving, please contact the Assembly through its secretary, Judi A. McClain, 3664 Flint Street, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601 (Tel. No. 503/882-8134).
Mr. Nakhjavání visits U.S.A.[edit]
Mr. Alí Nakhjavání, a member of the Universal House of Justice, spent two days recently at the National Bahá’í Center in Wilmette where, on Sunday, July 1, he met with the friends in Foundation Hall. This was his first visit to the United States.
In the photo above Mr. Nakhjavání is explaining the building program for Mount Carmel planned by the Universal House of Justice.
UN Day Oct. 24[edit]
by Mabel Garis
Last fall the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed October 24, 1973—United Nations Day—World Development Information Day as well.
The purpose of this UN decision was to educate the public in developed and developing countries about UN programs for economic and social development. The UN Strategy for Development requires a partnership of the rich and the poor nations.
If it is to succeed in helping to bring peace and stability to the planet, it must have the wholehearted cooperation of the people, as well as of the governments. For this reason, the UN has decided to make UN Day 1973 an occasion for enlisting full public support for its development goals.
Since the Bahá’í community is working to establish a world civilization, we can help the UN by planning educational programs for World Development Information Day.
Also, in sponsoring or co-sponsoring such UN Day activities, Bahá’í communities everywhere are in a position to present, in a very natural way, the Bahá’í viewpoint on spiritual development as the foundation for economic and social development.
There are special UN Day materials available to aid your community in this observance, in addition to those mentioned in the last issue of The American Bahá’í. Please contact Mrs. Mabel Garis, UN Observer, Rooms 809-10, 345 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017.
There are Bahá’í publications which might also be helpful, such as A Pattern for Future Society and The Environment and Human Values: A Bahá’í View. These may be ordered through your community librarian.
Radio proclamations in Southern California[edit]
Southern California communities used radio extensively to publicize Bahá’í events during the April 21-May 23 proclamation period closing the Nine Year Plan.
The highlight of the radio program was a fifteen-minute interview with Mrs. Marguerite Sears on station KWXY’s Alice Walker Show on May 10. A second station, KDES of Palm Springs, interviewed Mrs. Sears and Paul Borque, a member of the Palm Springs community, for one hour during the proclamation period.
Several stations in the region aired a 60-second Bahá’í news spot regularly throughout the month. Two stations played the spots at least 45 times each. Other radio stations charged only modest fees to air Bahá’í announcements.
Two television stations in the Southern California region used a filmed Bahá’í ad, available through the National Information Office, at least five times before the proclamation effort ended.
“We noticed that radio stations in general are receptive to broadcasting public service announcements for the Faith because of the new attitude and spirit the Bahá’í Faith reflects in its approach to religion,” an information representative for a Spiritual Assembly in the area wrote.
Inglewood plans Chase Memorial[edit]
The 61st observance for the Thornton Chase Memorial, sponsored annually by the Bahá’í Community of Inglewood, California, will be held in the Inglewood Park Cemetery (Sierra Plot No. 209) at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 30.
Thornton Chase was the first believer in the United States, and it was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish that a memorial be held each year to commemorate his passing.
The quotation on his gravestone is from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “This is the illumined resting place of the holy soul, Thornton Chase, who is shining in the horizon of eternal life ever like a star.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “He served the Cause faithfully and his services will ever be remembered throughout ages and cycles.”
Bay Area children meet[edit]
The first California Bay Area Children’s Conference was conducted by the Spiritual Assembly of San Carlos on July 14. More than 30 children and a dozen parents gathered at a local park for the day-long conference.
The theme of the conference was “Make Me A Brilliant Star.” The agenda was based on the recent letter from the National Teaching Committee and included games and stories adapted from Child’s Way magazine.
The 7th Annual Kansas Bahá’í Summer Institute was held August 3-5, 1973, at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch, near Junction City, Kansas. Some 70 people attended this event sponsored by the Kansas District Teaching Committee.
News Briefs[edit]
Governor meets Ohio Bahá’ís[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Columbus, Ohio, presented a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Ohio Governor John Gilligan during the month of proclamation ending the Nine Year Plan. Governor Gilligan is on the right.
Bahá’í float wins prize[edit]
The Bahá’ís of La Porte, Texas, recently did pretty well at something they never tried before. As part of the month of proclamation closing the Nine Year Plan, the La Porte Spiritual Assembly entered a float in the May 5 Sylvan Beach Parade, the town’s snappiest event of the year, and won second prize for their efforts. The seal in the photo is seven feet high, and painted in four colors. In addition to the float, the Bahá’ís passed out helium-filled balloons with the seal printed on them. Inside the balloons were slips of paper with quotes from the Bahá’í writings on race unity. After the parade, the Bahá’ís repaired to the park for a well-earned potluck picnic.
Air Force Academy allows Bahá’í talk[edit]
For the first time in the history of the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, a Bahá’í speaker addressed a class of cadets during the month-long proclamation, April 21-May 23.
Dr. Jalil Mahmoudi of Salt Lake City, Utah, spoke to the “Great Religions of the World” class at the Academy on May 7. The lecture was open to the public, and about 100 persons attended, including the cadets.
Dr. Mahmoudi was also the guest, on a tour of the Academy and for dinner, of Colonel Malham M. Wakin, Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science and Philosophy.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Colorado Springs was recently informed that beginning in the fall, the Bahá’í Faith will be included as part of the regular curriculum of the “Great Religions of the World” course at the Academy. During their study, each cadet will be asked to choose one religion for special study, which would include attending services or gatherings. The Local Bahá’í community, therefore, soon hopes to welcome cadets at Holy Day observances and firesides.
California town uses cable TV[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Pacifica, California, have recently completed their first year on cable television, with a weekly program called “Dawning Point”.
The producers of “Dawning Point” are all amateurs in the television field, yet during their year on the air, they produced programs on such a wide range of subjects as: the Bahá’í Faith; ballet; local musical talent; community affairs; hair styles for men; American Indian folklore; and “Bigfoot”, the California Abominable Snowman.
Tapes from Pacifica have also made the rounds to other Bahá’í communities and other cable television stations.
Cable television stations are generally in need of groups to volunteer production assistance, the Pacifica Bahá’ís write. Law requires that these CATV stations provide a certain amount of free air time to local non-profit organizations. The first and primary requirement for obtaining air time on cable outlets, according to the Bahá’ís of Pacifica, is the desire to do the work involved.
Tokens presented to Illinois Mayor[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Skokie, Illinois, presented a copy of Tokens to the city’s Mayor, Albert Smith, on the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb, July 9. Making the presentation for the Assembly are, from left to right, Steve Worth, Miss Sue Emmel, and Mrs. Lisa Emmel. Mayor Smith appreciated the gift and offered to support future Bahá’í activities.
Mr. David Villaseñor demonstrates the Indian art of sandpainting during a recent exposition on Indian art at the University of Nevada, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of southern Nevada. The ballroom of the University was filled with displays of Indian art and artifacts, paintings, and other contemporary arts, prepared by Indians from various tribes and reservations.
Religion class planned for college[edit]
Last year the Bahá’ís of Rochester and Olmsted County, Minnesota, were invited to participate in the formulation of the curriculum for a philosophy of religion class at Rochester State Junior College.
The local Bahá’í communities were very pleased with this recognition, and a further opportunity to help establish the independent status of our Faith.
From May through December of 1972, a Bahá’í representative attended meetings along with other local clergymen asked to participate in preparing the course.
The course was approved for credit by the college and will be offered during the winter quarter of 1973.
The two Assemblies of Olmsted County and Rochester each appointed members to a committee to draw up the outline to be used by their Bahá’í representative.
Contest winner[edit]
The National Music and Drama Committee, which sponsored the choral contest announced in the February 1973 issue of The American Bahá’í, is happy to announce the winner, Mr. Walter Maurice Wininsky of 288 S. Kerrwood Avenue, Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Vermont Governor meets Bahá’ís[edit]
The Governor of the State of Vermont, Thomas P. Salmon, was presented with a copy of “The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh” by representatives of several Vermont communities on July 19, 1973.
Those present were: Paul Smith of Burlington, Susan Bonnie of Montpelier, Michael Scudder of Goddard College, Plainfield, and Janice Fleetwood of Rochester. Mr. Frank Sawyer, co-chairman of the New York City Spiritual Assembly, made the presentation, which was a project initiated by the Montpelier Bahá’í Group.
The Governor was most cordial, asked many questions, and stated that he consented to the scheduling of the Proclamation because he was particularly impressed with the Faith’s principle of the elimination of prejudice.
In the photograph, Paul Smith looks on while Governor Salmon reads over Bahá’í materials.
Team covers Ute Reservation[edit]
A two-week teaching team covered portions of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in western Colorado to bring the message of Bahá’u’lláh to many of the rural people. Previous efforts on the Southern Ute Reservation have concentrated in and around the town of Ignacio, but the emphasis this time was to reach the farmers and ranchers.
The team reported that many of the people they had met were aware of the Bahá’í Faith through newspaper articles and friends, and almost all reactions to the Faith were positive. Many showed interest in learning more.
During the two-week period, two small public meetings were held at the Southern Ute Recreation Hall, and two devotional programs were presented to the residents of the Southern Ute Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center. One of the Center’s managers has shown great interest in the Faith, and welcomed Bahá’ís to come. One of the residents said he liked the positive teachings of the Faith.
A big public meeting was held July 21, halfway through the project, and featured folksinger Gail Abbott of Durango, and speaker Freddie Chavez from Alamosa, Colorado. A slide presentation of the recent National Bahá’í Youth Conference followed Freddie Chavez’s talk on “Unity Through Diversity.”
In addition, the Southern Ute Tribal paper printed a large article with pictures on the National Bahá’í Youth Conference, which is read by almost everyone on the Reservation. The article was printed because of the respect the Tribal newspaper editor has for the Bahá’ís. Normally, articles on religious organizations are not printed in the Tribal newspaper.
Spanish festival popular attraction[edit]
A Fourth Annual Unity Festival, designed to introduce the Bahá’í Faith to Spanish-speaking people, was conducted June 10 by the Bahá’ís of El Cajon, California. Almost three hundred people attended the festival, which featured Indian, Mexican, and Anglo performances.
The festival was followed up by a musical event of special interest to the large Spanish-speaking population of El Cajon Valley. Some of the families attending said they had come as a result of the Unity Festival, and because they saw ads and articles in local newspapers announcing the follow-up program.
The festival organizers feel that the annual occurrence of the event has helped to increase the popularity of the festival, which residents of the valley now look forward to each June.
Follow-up youth conference[edit]
The Youth Committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Citrus J.D., California, held an all-day follow-up youth conference on July 29 to sustain the spirit and report on the activities of the Third National Bahá’í Youth Conference in Oklahoma City. Over 60 persons attended, and it was highly successful. Youth speakers gave reports in the morning on aspects of the Conference. In the afternoon, adult speakers, including National Spiritual Assembly member Dr. Dorothy Nelson, gave talks on careers, education, marriage and the family, and pioneering.
[Page 14]
The Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Zikru’lláh Khádem will participate in the Greenlake Bahá’í Institute October 5-7.
Greenlake Institute scheduled[edit]
The 1973 Greenlake Bahá’í Institute will be held from October 5-7 at the American Baptist Assembly conference grounds in Green Lake, Wisconsin.
The conference discussions will focus on Bahá’í family life and education. Guest speakers, for both adult and children’s classes, will include The Hand of the Cause of God Zikru’lláh Khádem, Auxiliary Board member Dr. Peter Khan, National Spiritual Assembly member Miss Magdalene Carney, Dr. Janet Khan, Mrs. Marguerite Sears, and Mr. Tom Thompson.
Entertainment on Saturday night will be provided by Kimes Time, a musical group of Bahá’ís. Any musicians wishing to perform at the Greenlake Institute must send a tape of their music to Warren Kime, 1029 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, for auditioning.
Classes are planned for the 6-8, 9-11, and 12-15 age groups. All parents who have children attending will be assigned a time to assist with children’s classes. All conference speakers will spend time with the children. Babysitting services for children 5 years-old and younger will be provided at a nominal fee.
The conference grounds are on state highway 23, two miles west of Green Lake, and 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Registration forms, with a $5.00 deposit, must be received two weeks in advance of the start of the conference. Registration information and rates are on the registration form below.
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Is World Order Really a Bahá’í Magazine? Like any good Bahá’í undertaking, World Order is principally a teaching instrument. It is designed to appeal to thinking people of every educational, social, and economic class. It addresses the complicated issues of contemporary life that torment, inspire, and distract this restless generation. But like all good teaching instruments, it is only effective to the degree that it is used by Bahá’ís for teaching. So the next time your community schedules a proclamation event, or you plan a personal teaching project, consider giving subscriptions to World Order. It is ideal for public libraries; for schools, universities, and public offices; and for all those thoughtful people you have been planning to introduce to the Bahá’í Faith. World Order will be a Bahá’í magazine in your life if you give it a Bahá’í purpose in your teaching work. You will find as you begin to make greater use of World Order that it will help you to deepen in your knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith. Some of the best and most interesting articles on Bahá’í subjects in the English language are printed in World Order and nowhere else. Consider these few titles:
World Order is a Bahá’í magazine, in content and purpose. It is for thinking people—for you. Why not fill out the subscription coupon below and mail it today? It may turn out to be the most thought-provoking decision you’ve made in a long time. |
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Qualities to Live By Cualidades Para Vivir “Through the power of the words He hath uttered the whole of the human race can be illumined with the light of unity, and the remembrance of His Name is able to set on fire the hearts of all men, and burn away the veils that intervene between them and His glory. One righteous act is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished.... “Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous.... Say: O people of God! That which can ensure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence flowing from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world.” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 286–7)
“Sed puros, oh pueblo de Dios, sed puros; sed rectos, sed rectos.... Di: ¡Oh pueblo de Dios! Lo que puede asegurar la victoria de Aquél Quien es la Verdad Eterna, Sus huestes y ayudantes en la tierra, han sido anotadas en los Libros y Escrituras sagradas, y son tan claras y manifiestas como el sol. Estas huestes son los actos rectos, la conducta y carácter que son aceptables a Su vista. Quienquiera se levante a ayudar a Su Causa en este Día, y llame en su ayuda las huestes de un carácter loable y una conducta recta, la influencia que fluye de tal acción, ciertamente será difundida por todo el mundo.” (Pasajes de los Escritos de Bahá’u’lláh, p. 204) |
Counsellor Yan Kee Leong (Center) with first two Chinese believers to accept the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in Burma
1973 District Conventions[edit]
A complete schedule of dates and locations for the 1973 District Conventions has been released by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The seventy-nine District Conventions this year will be held on five separate dates: October 14, October 21, October 28, November 4, and November 11.
The Conventions will elect the 171 delegates to the National Bahá’í Convention to be held in Wilmette during Riḍván. Delegates are apportioned to the states by the National Spiritual Assembly in proportion to their Bahá’í populations.
The list of Convention dates and locations follows:
| District | Host Assembly | Date |
| Alabama N | Birmingham | 10/28 |
| Alabama S | Montgomery | 10/28 |
| Arizona N | Flagstaff | 10/14 |
| Arizona S | Tucson | 10/21 |
| Arkansas | Hot Springs | 10/28 |
| California N1 | Davis | 10/14 |
| California N2 | Santa Rosa | 10/28 |
| California C1 | San Mateo | 11/4 |
| California C2 | Fresno | 10/28 |
| California S1 | Lynwood | 10/28 |
| California S2 | Palm Springs | 10/14 |
| California S3 | Santa Barbara | 10/14 |
| Colorado | Colorado Springs | 10/14 |
| Connecticut | Hamden | 10/14 |
| Delaware | New Castle | 10/28 |
| Florida N | Gainesville | 11/4 |
| Florida C | Orlando | 11/4 |
| Florida S | Ft. Lauderdale | 10/28 |
| Georgia N & C | Atlanta | 10/28 |
| Georgia S & E | Savannah | 10/14 |
| Idaho | Boise | 10/14 |
| Illinois N | Chicago | 11/4 |
| Illinois S | Springfield | 10/28 |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | 10/14 |
| Iowa | Des Moines | 10/28 |
| Kansas | Emporia | 10/28 |
| Kentucky | Lexington | 11/4 |
| Louisiana | Lafayette | 11/4 |
| Maine | Augusta | 10/14 |
| Maryland/D.C. | Washington, D.C. | 10/14 |
| Massachusetts | Worcester | 10/14 |
| Michigan | West Lansing | 10/28 |
| Minnesota | St. Cloud | 10/14 |
| Mississippi | Jackson | 11/4 |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | 11/4 |
| Montana | Bozeman | 10/28 |
| Nebraska | Omaha | 10/14 |
| Nevada N | Reno | 10/14 |
| Nevada S | Las Vegas | 10/14 |
| New Hampshire | Nashua | 10/21 |
| New Jersey | Teaneck | 10/14 |
| New Mexico N | Gallup | 10/21 |
| New Mexico S | Roswell | 11/4 |
| New York E | Yonkers | 10/21 |
| New York W | Rochester | 10/14 |
| North Carolina E | Raleigh | 10/14 |
| North Carolina C | Greensboro | 11/4 |
| North Carolina W | Charlotte | 11/4 |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | 10/14 |
| Ohio N | Mansfield | 10/14 |
| Ohio S | Dayton | 11/4 |
| Oklahoma | Edmond | 10/14 |
| Oregon | Eugene | 10/21 |
| Pennsylvania E | W. Goshen Twp. | 11/4 |
| Pennsylvania W | Pittsburgh | 10/14 |
| Rhode Island | Providence | 10/14 |
| South Carolina C | Columbia | 10/14 |
| South Carolina E | Lake City | 10/21 |
| South Carolina S | Charleston | 10/28 |
| South Carolina N | Greenville | 11/4 |
| South Carolina W | Greenwood | 10/14 |
| South Dakota | Sioux Falls | 10/14 |
| Tennessee | Nashville | 10/28 |
| Texas E1 | Dallas | 11/4 |
| Texas E2 | Houston | 10/14 |
| Texas N | Amarillo | 10/28 |
| Texas S | Corpus Christi | 11/4 |
| Texas C | Austin | 11/11 |
| Texas W | El Paso | 10/14 |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | 10/21 |
| Vermont | Burlington | 10/14 |
| Virginia N | Fairfax | 11/4 |
| Virginia S | Richmond | 10/28 |
| Washington E | Spokane | 10/21 |
| Washington W | Puyallup | 10/28 |
| West Virginia | Charleston | 10/14 |
| Wisconsin N | Green Bay | 10/14 |
| Wisconsin S | Brookfield | 10/21 |
| Wyoming | Laramie | 10/14 |
Pioneering Opportunities[edit]
Opportunities for international employment can be found in trade journals, government agencies and newspaper advertisements. The above sampling of job opportunities appeared in a recent Business and Finance section of the Sunday New York Times.
Dominican Republic[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Dominican Republic has advised us that those with degrees in education, experience in the mining industry, experience in hotel management, and medical doctors willing to work outside the cities, could possibly find work that would enable them to be self-supporting. It is suggested that employment be found prior to leaving for the Dominican Republic. For more information, please write to the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Venezuela[edit]
A pioneer is urgently needed in the Guajira region of Venezuela. Someone who can maintain the Bahá’í Teaching Institute located there as well as keep up repairs on a “Land-Rover” the pioneer will be using. Knowledge of Spanish is necessary. A self-supporting pioneer would be preferred.
A family is preferable, but anyone who goes to fill the post must be prepared to live in a hot, dry, dusty climate, isolated from other English-speaking people, and with the nearest city some 2½ hours distant.
The ability to drive and a valid driver’s license is a necessity. The pioneer will live in the Bahá’í Teaching Institute in Paraguaipoa. There is electricity and water available. The pioneer will need to be able to take care of his own personal needs (cooking, washing clothes by hand, etc.). He should be knowledgeable in Bahá’í Administration.
The work will be primarily to train and provide administrative support for traveling teachers. This is a mass teaching area and the pioneer will be responsible for assisting the teaching and consolidation work of over one hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies.
If you fulfill the qualifications outlined, please write to: International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Micronesia[edit]
Pioneers are needed here, where there has been a large influx of new believers. Since these islands are a Trust Territory of the United States, jobs must be obtained by filing application with the U.S. Federal Government. Among the skills needed are: teachers, agriculturalists, physicians, nurses, engineers, and hotel managers.
For further details write to: International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Ecuador[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Ecuador needs pioneers with experience in the radio and recording field, with knowledge of Spanish, and who can be self-supporting. If you meet these qualifications, please contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Sierra Leone[edit]
Pioneers are needed in this country, where English is spoken and the Faith has made an excellent beginning. Teachers and students are usually most successful in securing permission to enter and live there. It is preferable for the pioneers to apply for positions or acceptance at the college before they leave. Information on schools in Sierra Leone is available through the International Goals Committee.
Liberia[edit]
At least one pioneer couple is needed to manage a farm owned by the Bahá’ís of Liberia. The couple should be experienced in farming and able to help the believers there to deepen in the Faith and to consolidate the victories already won.
Tanzania[edit]
A Bahá’í family or retired person, experienced in farming, is needed to live at the Bahá’í Institute in Tanzania. The pioneer should be able to devote full time to Bahá’í teaching, and mass teaching experience would be helpful.
WORLD ORDER, a Bahá’í magazine, stimulates, inspires, and serves thinking people in their search to find relationships between contemporary life and contemporary religious teachings and philosophy.
Pioneering and Job Opportunities[edit]
Malawi[edit]
There is an immediate opening for a skilled spray painter. The applicant should be single, preferably black, and fully qualified with considerable experience. He should be prepared to provide his own transportation. If employed, he would receive a very adequate living salary with housing provided and an opportunity to purchase a car. He would be on contract for two years at the end of which he could have this renewed, provided his work was satisfactory. This is a country where the Faith is growing rapidly, and there is great need for Bahá’í pioneers.
Solomon Islands[edit]
WANTED: SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
There is an immediate opening for a Bahá’í couple with school teaching experience to teach in an elementary school operated by the Bahá’ís in the Solomon Islands. The job offer specifies that the applicants must be black, mature, and experienced.
For further details, write to: International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Upper Volta[edit]
There is an opening in Upper Volta for a civil engineer who speaks French. For information, write International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill. 60091.
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USA International Goals
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Arizona[edit]
Four Bahá’í pioneers are desperately needed in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in order to maintain its Assembly status. Sierra Vista, located in southern Arizona, has a population of 75,000, which includes Fort Huachuca, an army base. At an altitude of 4,600 feet, Sierra Vista has a mild climate year-round. It is surrounded by mountains which are snow-capped for a few months in the winter. It is one hour’s drive southeast of Tucson and one hour’s drive to Mexico.
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Don’t forget to renew your subscription and your gift subscriptions to Child’s Way. Send $4.50 ($5.00 outside the U.S.) to Child’s Way, Bahá’í Subscriber Service, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. |
Sierra Vista is one of the fastest-growing communities in Arizona with many job opportunities. Businesses that are opening this month or in the near future are Ward’s department store, Sears’ department store, Hilton Inn, and Ramada Motel. There are also opportunities in other motels, banks, businesses, and restaurants.
If you are interested, you can write directly to the secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly for more information: Mrs. Sara McClellan, 148 Martin Drive, Sierra Vista, Arizona 85631.
National Center[edit]
There is a need at the National Bahá’í Center for a competent accountant who will be responsible for general accounting, cost analysis, data processing, cash flow, and taxes. A Certified Public Accountant is desirable. Anyone interested in applying for this position should write to the National Bahá’í Center (Attention: Personnel), 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
World Order[edit]
At the start of B.E. 130, the Third International Convention to elect The Universal House of Justice was held in the Holy Land. In June, more than 4,000 people gathered in Oklahoma City for the third National Bahá’í Youth Conference.
What more can happen in B.E. 130? One way to find out is to read Bahá’í News.
[Page 18]
At school
At play
At work
At home
Bahá’í Child Education and Family Life[edit]
The first meeting of the new National Education Committee was held at the National Center, August 10–11.
The task of the committee will be to aid the American Bahá’í community to grow and mature, and to assist individual believers in the transformation of their personal lives.
The first task of the National Education Committee will be to administer the Comprehensive Deepening Program developed by the National Spiritual Assembly. Other programs, based on the theme of “Creating a God-centered Community”, will be prepared to help Bahá’ís pattern their lives according to the laws and ordinances of Bahá’u’lláh, and apply Bahá’í principles to their activities at home, work, school and play.
The members of the National Education Committee are Mrs. Carol Allen, Mr. William R. Foster, Mr. Ronald S. Gilpatrick, Miss Lauretta Haynes, Mr. James F. Nelson, and Mr. Bruce Whitmore. The secretary of the committee, and its office manager, is Mr. Whitmore. Mr. Nelson is the chairman of the committee, and Mr. Gilpatrick its vice-chairman.
Each month this National Education Committee section will carry, as one of its regular features, a question on a topic of interest to Bahá’ís. You are invited to clip out the coupon and send us your answer to this month’s question. Next month a report will be made about the community’s responses, and the most interesting and valuable replies will be printed as an assistance to readers.
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What does your Local Spiritual Assembly do to provide meaningful activities for the children at the Nineteen Day Feasts? Return to National Education Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. |
BAHÁ’Í BOOKS AND MATERIALS[edit]
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
Bahá’í Youth: A Compilation
Bahá’í Youth: A Compilation, prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly for distribution at the Third National Bahá’í Youth Conference, contains letters from Shoghi Effendi and two messages from The Universal House of Justice addressed to the Bahá’í youth of the world. The letters from Shoghi Effendi provide guidance in preparing for the future, living the life, spiritual education, material education, teaching the Faith, and the relations between youth and adults. The messages from The Universal House of Justice outline the three fields of service open to youth and discuss several factors to be considered when deciding whether to pioneer immediately or continue one’s education. This compilation is essential for a fuller understanding of the mission, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities facing Bahá’í youth. 33 pp.
- Paper/$0.50
- 10/$4.50
The Destiny of America
by Stanwood Cobb
Reduced prices are now available on this pamphlet analyzing statements made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while in America and in His Tablets of the Divine Plan concerning the future of America. The pamphlet concludes with a statement from the writings of Shoghi Effendi.
- 20/$1.00
- 100/$4.00
| ENGLISH IMPORTS |
Several books published by the British Publishing Trust are again available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Please check prices carefully as many books have new prices.
Paris Talks | Cloth/$3.25 |
| Paper/$2.50 | |
Bahá’í Prayers (British) | Cloth/$2.00 |
Bahá’í Revelation, The | Cloth/$3.95 |
Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, The | Cloth/$3.25 |
Pattern of Bahá’í Life, The | Paper/$0.50 |
Principles of Bahá’í Administration | Cloth/$2.50 |
Three Meditations on the Eve of November the Fourth | Cloth/$1.00 |
Priceless Pearl, The | Paper/$2.75 |
STUDY GUIDES[edit]
Bahá’í Lesson Plans, Grade 5
This booklet, as all others in this lesson plan series, covers history, teachings for the individual, and social teachings. The section on “Shoghi Effendi” discusses the station of the Guardian and explains various aspects of his work, including the various teaching plans and the translation of many books into English. The section on “The Example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá” stresses the qualities of service, mercy, justice, love, and knowledge. “Living in the Bahá’í Community” covers the Feast, the Local Spiritual Assembly, Holy Days, Bahá’í education, and individual responsibilities.
- Paper/$1.40
Bahá’í Holy Days
Since four important Holy Days will be celebrated this fall, deepening committees and child education committees will soon begin planning observances. Bahá’í Holy Days has been designed to assist committees, teachers, and parents in their preparations. Bahá’í Holy Days is a series of thirty lesson plans, ten each for three age groups (Primary, Intermediate, and Junior), for use in teaching children the significance of Bahá’í Holy Days and in planning observances appropriate for each age group. The goals and methods of each lesson plan are outlined. Lesson plans include teaching aids, stories, scripts, and suggested questions for group discussion. The historical information given in the lesson plans for older children will also be of interest to adults and newly-declared believers. 169 pp.
- Paper/$2.00
NON-ENGLISH TITLES[edit]
| ESPERANTO |
Kio Estas la Bahaa Religio?
Kio Estas la Bahaa Religio? (What Is the Bahá’í Faith?), a new book in Esperanto, is now available. The book is a compilation of quotations from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi which discuss the history and basic teachings of the Faith.
- Paper/$1.20 NET
Komunio kun Dio
Komunio kun Dio, an Esperanto translation of Communion with God, is now available. The booklet contains selected prayers of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. White leather-grained cover, printed in rich blue. 22 pp.
- Paper/$0.30 NET
- 10/$3.00 NET
- 25/$6.25 NET
| SPANISH |
Divina Sinfonia
by Gayle Woolson
Divina Sinfonia, a book on comparative religion, consists of chapters on the life and teachings of the Founders of the major religions of the world, including Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, Muḥammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh. This book is now available in Spanish at a new price. Revised edition. 85 pp.
- Paper/$1.00 NET
| GERMAN |
Krise und Neubeginn
by John Huddleston
Krise und Neubeginn (Crisis and New Beginning), an introductory German pamphlet, is now available. 19 pp.
- Paper/$0.20 NET
Several German books are now available at new prices.
Gebete und Meditationen (Prayers and Meditations) 254 pp | Cloth/$5.00 NET |
Verborgen Worte (The Hidden Words) 89 pp. | Cloth/$3.00 NET |
Ansprachen in Paris (Paris Talks) 138 pp. | Cloth/$4.00 NET |
Bahá’í Gebete (Bahá’í Prayers) 75 pp. | Paper/$1.50 NET |
Christus und Bahá’u’lláh (Christ and Bahá’u’lláh) 127 pp. | Paper/$3.00 NET |
Bahá’í literature now available in German
[Page 20]
Fourth Mescalero Council Fire
Inside:
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Continental Counsellors and Auxiliary Boards meet in Illinois, page 3 Bahá’í proclamation on Navajo Reservation attracts hundreds, page 8 Greenlake Bahá’í Institute, Oct. 507, in Green Lake, Wisconsin, page 14 Fourth Mescalero Council Fire in New Mexico, page 5 |
